Page:Orley Farm (Serial Volume 11).pdf/39

Rh to say that the expression of such a hope to me is greatly wanting in courtesy.'

'You and I,' continued Lord Alston, without apparent attention to the last words which Sir Peregrine had spoken, 'have nearly come to the end of our tether here. Our careers have been run; and I think I may say as regards both, but I may certainly say as regards you, that they have been so run that we have not disgraced those who preceded us. Our dearest hopes should be that our names may never be held as a reproach by those who come after us.'

'With God's blessing I will do nothing to disgrace my family.'

'But, Orme, you and I cannot act as may those whose names in the world are altogether unnoticed. I know that you are doing this from a feeling of charity to that lady.'

'I am doing it, Lord Alston, because it so pleases me.'

'But your first charity is due to your grandson. Suppose that he was making an offer of his hand to the daughter of some nobleman,—as he is so well entitled to do,—how would it affect his hopes if it were known that you at the time had married a lady whose misfortune made it necessary that she should stand at the bar in a criminal court?'

'Lord Alston,' said Sir Peregrine, rising from his chair, 'I trust that my grandson may never rest his hopes on any woman whose heart could be hardened against him by such a thought as that.'

'But what if she should be guilty?' said Lord Alston.

'Permit me to say,' said Sir Peregrine, still standing, and standing now bolt upright, as though his years did not weigh on him a feather, 'that this conversation has gone far enough. There are some surmises to which I cannot listen, even from Lord Alston.'

Then his lordship shrugged his shoulders, declared that in speaking as he had spoken he had endeavoured to do a friendly duty by an old friend,—certainly the oldest, and almost the dearest friend he had,—and so he took his leave. The wheels of the chariot were heard grating over the gravel, as he was carried away from the door at a gallop, and the two ladies looked into each other's faces, saying nothing. Sir Peregrine was not seen from that time till dinner; but when he did come into the drawing-room his manner to Lady Mason was, if possible, more gracious and more affectionate than ever.

'So Lord Alston was here to-day,' Peregrine said to his mother that night before he went to bed.

'Yes, he was here.'

'It was about this marriage, mother, as sure as I am standing here.'

'I don't think Lord Alston would interfere about that, Perry.'

'Wouldn't he? He would interfere about anything he did not